Budge and Doull wait

The Standards Commission is still carrying out an investigation into an anonymous complaint against two SIC councillors who took part in a debate about funding the Shetland Livestock Marketing Group (SLMG) one year ago.

South Mainland member Jim Budge and North Mainland coun­cillor Addie Doull were alleged to have broken the councillors’ code of conduct by declaring an interest as members of SLMG but going on to take part in a vote on whether to grant money to the organisation for an urgent business review.

Mr Budge said this week that he and Mr Doull had spoken to repre­sentatives of the chief investigating officer in August as part of the investigation. But they have still heard nothing back despite being told that they would be hearing something within six weeks. The original complaint was made at the end of March about their part in the meeting on 22nd January 2009.

A spokeswoman for the chief investigating officer confirmed that the matter was still being looked into and that although there is usually a three-month timescale for completion, it is not always possible to meet that timescale because of the complexity of certain cases and difficulties and delays in getting information from other parties.